Sound Bans Are Barriers to Air Cargo, UPS Charges

WASHINGTON — European noise restrictions that vary by nation are slowing the growth of air cargo, according to a UPS executive.

“The most pressing environmental issue we face in aviation today is the issue of aircraft noise,” Tom Weidemeyer, president of UPS Airlines, said March 8 before the Federal Aviation Administration.

Weidemeyer criticized what he called a proliferation of “night-flight restrictions” in Europe caused by concerns about aircraft noise. While the United States has uniform noise standards, the European Union has a patchwork of prohibitions among its 15 member nations.

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“Although a recent proposal by the Belgian transport minister to ban night flights altogether was pulled back, other restrictive proposals are on the table there,” he said.



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